Friday, September 4, 2009

Tony's daughter issues calls for solidarity with her father

In her most recent letter (quoted below), my cousin Yenysel is asking anyone interested in helping with the cause of Tony's release to write letters and postcards of support to Tony. She arrived in the US recently and hasn't seen Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, but those of you that have seen the film will recall that Senator Jeff Smith launched his two-day filibuster in the hopes that the floor of the Senate would be flooded with letters of support. This is pretty much the effect she is aiming for. On a related note, Uncommon Sense posted a letter from a fellow prisoner of conscience, Adolfo Fernández Saínz, that corroborates the facts in Yeny's plea and calls for interested parties to write to Lt. Col. Reinerio Díaz Betancourt, the prison warden, at the following address:

Prisión Provincial de Canaletas
Carretera Sanguily, KM 2 ½
Ciego de Ávila, CP 65 100

Without further ado, here is my translation of her letter:
My name is Yenysel Díaz Sánchez. Many of you already know me because of the letters I have written asking for the solidarity of all persons of good faith that might be able to intercede on my father's behalf. His name is Antonio Ramón Díaz Sánchez and I am asking for your help obtaining his release. He is one of the prisoners of conscience arrested during the black spring of 2003 in Cuba. I don't wish to bore you with all the details of the sad story that began on March 19, 2003. My goal is to denounce the injustices committed against my father, which have taken on the form of official harassment. Although Tony has been diagnosed with a chronic colon ailment, the prison authorities have failed to furnish him with the special diet prescribed by the doctors. He is being held more than 500 kilometers from his home, thus forcing his loved ones to make a difficult journey for a two-hour visit. Sentenced to 20 years in prison for fighting to defend his rights and those of his people through non-violent means, Tony is once again being confined to an isolation cell with the dimensions of a cage, a concrete slab to sleep on, and a hole for his bodily functions. Tony is the victim of blackmail, punished for his refusal to accept the authorities' offer to transfer him to a facility near Havana (which is closer to his home) if he were to wear the same uniform issued to common criminals.
Unable to break the will of a man unwilling to compromise his dignity, the harassment grows worse. For the last three months, his correspondence has been censored. I appeal to your sense of justice and ask you to express your solidarity with our cause by showing the Cuban regime that Tony is not alone and that there are those that would advocate for his freedom. To show your support, please send your letters or postcards to the following address:

Prisión Provincial de Canaletas
Zona de Aislamiento
Celda #1 Pasillo #1
Carretera Sanguily, KM 2 ½
Ciego de Ávila, CP 65 100

I'd like to express my family's appreciation for your kindness. It is your continued support that gives us the hope that we might someday enjoy once more the joy of our father's company.

Thank you.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! what an idea ! What a concept ! Beautiful .. Amazing …

Anonymous said...

Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!

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